Remote control system for electric circuits



June l24, 1930. T. F. BLUDWORTH ET Al. 1,766,371

REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS original Filed Feb. 15, 1927Y ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT, orFicE TIMOTHYE. ELUDWoE'rH, 0E EANwoon, NEW JERSEY, AND :een s. BoBEovsKY, or' NEWYoEK, E. Y.

D REMOTE coN'rnoEsYs'rEM non ELECTRIC crnourrs Application ledlebruary15, 1927, Serial No. 168,381. Renewed April 2, 1930.

Our invention relates to an improved remote control system for electriccircuits and has for an object to provide means operable from a remotestation or a plurality of dif- .1 ferent stations, to control one ormore electric circuits.

Another object of our invention is to provide means at the remotestation to indicate whether the circuit controlling means 10 hasproperly functioned.

Another object of our invention is to provide. a system' whereby thepower or current strength in a4 circuit may be varied from a distantpoint. y

A specific object of our invention is to provide a switch of improvedform and voperable through a simple two-wire .control circuit to eitheropen or close a main circuit.

Another object is to provide a switch in which the make and break of amain circuit is abrupt, thereby avoiding destructive sparking.l 4 lAnother object is to provide a system .1ncluding a remote control switchof the k1nd above specified in which the switch will be operated by a.small amount of power tapped from the main circuit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a remote control switch inwhich al number of circuits 'may be simultaneously opened and closed, orin which the circuits may be successively opened or closed.

,Another object is to provide a remote control switch of very simple andrugged construction which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

Our improved system may be found useful in connection with the controlof power stations from remote points, for the control of lamps inelectric sign-boards, etc. A

' particular application for which our system is well suited, has to dowith radio receiving apparatus. It is well known that the loud j speakerof a radio receiving set should be located at a considerable distancefrom the set in order to insure good reception. It is convenient to havemeans for throwing the current, to the set, onor E from a point adjacentthe loud speaker. It is also of advantage to provide for turning the seton or 0E from various points about a room or even from another room, andour improved system of remote control provides la simple means ofcarrying out this desired control of the set. To be sure the power linesleading into the set could be tapped at various points in a room,fbutthe objection to such a system lies in the fact that the power linescould not be installed within the requirements of insurance underwriterswithout considerable expense. By our system the switch may be placed ator adjacent a set, while the switch controlling circuit, carrying a veryinsignificant amount of electric current and well within thesafetyregulations of the underwriters, could be extended to any point desired.1

While our system is admirably adapted for the control of radio-receivingapparatus, we do not wish to place too much emphasis on this particularapplication because our switch is equally as well adapted to a widevariety of other applications.

With the above noted objects in view and with others which will appearinthe following specification, we shall now describe an embodiment ofour invention and several alternative variations and shall then definethe scope Cof our invention in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 s a partly diagrammatic view showing a front elevation of ourimproved remote control switch and certain electrical apparatus andcircuits connected therewith, the switch being shown open;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of a portion of the' switch on anenlarged scale showing the switch closed; and f Fig. 3 is a view intransverse section taken on the line 3 3 -of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 3' inclusive, we show at a panelor baseboard of insulation material on whichv our switch mechanism ismounted. Secured to the face of the panel is a 1U-shaped soft iron core11, one leg coi which carries a magnet coil 12. The panel may berecessed or cut away tol as indicated at `13, to clear thel coil.

Secured to the other end of the core is a strap 14 in which is pivotedan armature ,A

lantern'gear 20 (see points the yoke is secure arm 15. The arm 15 isnormally held up by a tension spring 16 against a stop 17 projectingfrom the strap. When the coil 12 is energized the arm 15 vwill be drawndown to aposition shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, forming a closedcircuit.

Pivoted to the free endof the arm 15 is a pawl 18 formed with a hookedupper end which is adapted to 'en age the pins 19 of a ig. 3). Thelantern gear comprises an inner and an outer wheel eld in mutuallyspaced relation' by the pins 19, and the outer wheel 21 has the form ofa ratchet or star wheel with flat eripheral edges terminating in teeth22. l)`here are twlce as many pins 19 as teeth 22. The lantern gear issuitably mounted to turn on a stud 23 projecting from the panel. Bearingagainst the Wheel21 is a spring contact finger 24 secured'at one end toa bracket 25 on ythe panel board, and carrying at the other end a yoke26, When the fin er 24 is raised, the yoke 26 bridges a pair o contactpoints 27 and 28 carried by the panel board.

he contact points are connected to series terminals of a main circuit,and the yoke.

thus serves to open or close the main circuit. To insure proper seatingupon the contact a certainamount ofiplay.

In operation, every time the magnet coil 12 is energized, the pawl 18will be pulled downward, turning the wheel 21 through a small angle,this angle being half the angle embrace between two teeth 22, so that ifat the end of one operation, the finger 24 is resting on the outer pointof a tooth 22, as

' `shown in Fig. 2, the next operation of the tion shown in Fi 1, whenthe spring will drop upon one o ythe flat peripheral edges of the starwheel immediately before had held yup the linger 24, will nowv enter anopening 29 formed in the finger. The pawl 18 is pulled inward againstthe ins 19 by a light coil spring 30 extending om the pawl to the arm1,5.

magnet will swing the wheel 21 to the posi- Owing to the fact that themagnet operates .very quickly, it is /necessary to provide a `stop toprevent the pawl from swin `11g out centrifugally, and pulling the w eel21 through a greater angle than is desired. To

' 32. Thev this end we have provided a stop whichiis in the form on aneccentric collar 31 secured tothe base-board by means of a screw 32. Thecollar may be turned to vary the throw of the pawl 18 and may then beheld at the desired ad'ustment b ti htening the screw ooked en o thepawl has a curved upper surfacewhich will permit it to ride past thepins 19 .on its upward stroke,

so that every tlme the coil 12 fis de-energized,

the pawl18gwill rise and hook over the next adjacent tooth,and up); thenext operation :of the magnet, the w l will be turned to the finger withJ and the tooth 22, whlch from the position shown in Fig. 1 to thatshown in Fig. 2.

To energize the magnet 12, we may tap off a certain amount of currentfrom the main circuit. If the current in the main circuit isalternating, this is accomplished very readily by using a transformer tooperate the magnet. On the panel board there are three binding posts 34,35 and 36. Opposite terminals of the magnet coil 12 are connected to thebinding posts 34 and 36 respectively. One terminal of the secondary coilof the transformer 33 is connected to the binding post 34, and the otherterminal to the binding post "35. Leading from the binding posts 35y and36 respectively, are the two Wires 37 and 38 of a control circuit.Bridged across this control circuit are switches or push buttons 39,located at convenient points, and whenever the button is pressed toclose the circuit across the wires 37 and 38, the magnet 12 willbeenergzed, drawing down the armature 15 and operating the contactfinger 24 to open or close the main circuit., In order to adapt themagnet for use on alternating current, the yfree end of the leg of thecore 11 which carries the coil 12 is bifurcated, and one of thebifurcations carries a shading coil 40. In Fig. 1, we have indicated themain circuit as including thepower lines 41 and 42 .with the former linerunning directly to one terminal of the work and the latter line runningto the contact point 27, while a line 43 runs from the contact point 28to the other terminal of the Work. The Work in this case, y.is indicatedas a motor generator, the motor-440i ,which is connected to lines 41 and43. v,The generator 45 has one terminal thereof connected by line 46 tothe binding`post 3 6 or the wire 38, while the other terminal isconnected to a line 47. Bridged across the lines 38 and 47 are variableresistances 48, thesekresistances being preferably placed adjacent thepush buttons 39. The' adjusting arm 49 of each variable resistance 48 isconnected to one terminal of a motor 50 or other suitablel electricaldevice, whose other terminal is connected to the line 38. Thus we haveprovided a remote control system for turning current on and off to the'motor generator and thence to'a series of motors 50, and at the sametime for varying the current supplied to the motors at the motorsthemselves.

If our switch is to be used on a directv current system, the switch maybe connected broken lines in Fig. 1. The direct current power suppllines are indicated by vreference numera s 51 and 52. The line 51 runsdirectly to the work and the line 52 to the switch point 27 and islcontinued from the switch point 28 to the work by way of line 43. Thework in this case might be a rotary converter.A To supply the magnetcoil 12 with energy, lines 53 4and 54 are tapped oif from the lines 51and 52 and connected respectively to the binding posts 34 and 35,resistances and 56 are introduced in the lines 53 and 54 respectively,to cut down the current supplied to the magnet and the control circuit.Q

Instead of tapping the main power supply lines, we may connect a batteryacross the binding posts 34 and 35 to furnish the current necessary foroperating the magnet coil 12.

The nature of the work connected to the main circuit andthe apparatusconnected across lines 38 and resistances 48, may be varied at will. Forinstance, in place of the motor generator, 44, 45, we may connect thepower lines 41 and 43l to a radio receiving.

set, and the lines 46 and 47 may extend from the 'set to loud speakerswhich would take the place of the motors 50. The resistances 48 wouldthen provide for controlling the vdlume of reception at the loudspeakers, and the current to the receiver set could 4 be turned on frompoints adjacent the loud speakers, or from any other desired points bymeans of'suitably located pushbuttons 39.

Having thus described 'our' invention and with the understanding thatvarious other changes, alterations and modiications can be made in theconstruction of our invention and the arrangement of various partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim: v l f i 1. In a switch of the character described, a starwheel, a spring-pressed switch arm enga ing the star wheel, the switcharm being ormed with a bearing surface and a recess contiguous thereto,said surface and recess being adapted tobe engaged successively by atooth of the star wheel, and

means for; rotating the star wheel intermittently by steps of half atooth space, whereby during successive steps of the star -wheel f theswitch arm will be alternately moved in inA `one direction by atoothlengaging said bearing surface and moved in the other direction byspring pressure as the tooth entersrthe recess. y e

2. In a switch ofthe character described, a spring-pressed switch arm, acontact point vadapted to be alternately engaged and disengaged by theswitch arm, a star wheel against which the switch arm is pressed, theswitch arm being formed with a bear'n surface and a recess adapted tobeengage successively by` a tooth of the star wheel, a ratchet mechanismadapted to turn'the'star 'wheel by steps of half a tooth space, and

-an elctro-magnetjadapted to operate the i ratchetA mechanism, wherebyuat one step of the star wheel the switch arm will bemoved wheel throughagainst the spring pressure intoengagement with the contact point by atooth engaging 3. In a switch of the character described,

point as'the tooth clearsy a spring-pressed switch arm, a star wheelagainst which the switch arm is pressed, a lantern gear supporting thestar wheel, the lantern gear-having twice as many pins as there areteeth in the star wheel, a pawl adapted to successively engage the pinsof the lantern gear, an armature carrying the pawl, an electro-magnetadapted to attract the armature, and a spring adapted to return thearmature, whereby upon each actu-r ation of the electro-magnet the pawlwill turn the star wheel through a half a tooth space, the spring armbeing formed with a bearing surface and a recess adapted to alternatelyengage a tooth of the star wheel, whereby on successive movements of thestar wheel the switch arm will be alternately moved in one direction byengagement of a tooth with the bearing surface and in the otherdirection by spring pressure .as the tooth enters the recess.

J 4. In a switch of the character described, a spring-pressed 'switcharm, a star wheel against which the switch arm is pressed, a lanterngear supporting the star wheel, the

lantern gear having twice as many pins as p there are teeth in the starwheel, a pawl adapted to successively en age the pins, an armaturecarrying the paw an electro-magnet adapted to Aattract the armature, aspring adapted to returnA the armature, and an adjustable stop to limitmovement of the pawl, whereby upon each actuation of the electromagnetthe pawl will turn the star half a tooth space, the spring armbeingformed with a bearing surface and a recess adapted to alternately engageeach tootlf of the star wheel, whereby on successive actuations of theelectro-magnet the switch arm will be alternately moved in one directionby engagement of a tooth with said bearing surface and moved in theother direction by spring pressure as the tooth enters the recess.

5.. In a switch of the character described, a spring-pressed switchOarm, a star wheel against which the switch arm is pressed, the switcharm surface and a recess adapted-to be engaged successively` by a toothof the star wheel, a U-shape magnet core, an energizing coil about oneleg of the core, an armature.

being formed with a bearingv v in engagement with the ratchet wheel,

whereb' 4at each ener 'z' of the ma et the sta'r \whee1 will bi1 zlxredthroughglhn angle. equal to half the tooth spacing of the star wheel.

Si ned at New-York, in the borough of M attan, andl in the count andState of New York, this 3rd day of' ebruary, `1927.

TIMOTHY F. BLUDWORTH. IGQR s. BOBROVSKY.

